This verse consists of two syntactically
separate sentences. They are: 1) dure
santo pakasenti himavanto va pabbato (the
good ones shine from afar, like a snowy mountain). This can be analysed
into the main sentence a) and the dependent clause b): a) dure
santo pakasenti (the good ones shine from
afar). The subject is the active present participle santo (good
ones, nominative plural). The verb is pakasenti
(3rd person, plural, active, causative, present tense). It has
an attribute, the adjective dure (far,
locative singular). b) himavanto va pabbato (like
a snowy mountain). The subject is the noun pabbato (mountain, nominative
singular). It has an attribute, the adjective himavanto (snowy,
nominative singular). The particle va (like) connects the clause
to the main sentence. 2) asantettha na dissanti rattij
khitta yatha
sara (the bad ones are unseen, like arrows
shot at night). This can be further divided into the main sentence a) and
the dependent clause b): a) asantettha na dissanti (the
bad ones are unseen). The subject is the active present participle asanto
(bad ones, nominative plural). The verb is dissanti (are seen, 3rs
person, plural, passive, indicative, present tense). It is negated by the
negative particle na (not). The verb has an attribute, the adverb
ettha (here). b) rattij
khitta yatha
sara (like arrows shot at night). The
subject is the noun sara (arrows, nominative
plural). It has an attribute, the past participle khitta
(released, shot, nominative plural) with its attribute, the adverb rattij
(at night). The relative adverb yatha
(like) connects the clause to the main sentence.

Commentary:

Anatha
Pindika and Ugga both studied under the same
teacher while they were young. Later Anatha
Pindika had a daughter and Ugga had a son.
When the children grew up, their parents arranged their marriage. The daughter
of Anatha Pindika,
named Cula Subhadda
went to live with her husband and parents-in-law. Ugga and his family were not followers
of the Buddha, but they were disciples of different ascetic school (called
"naked ascetics", because the monks did not wear any clothes). Cula
Subhadda told her mother-in-law about the
Buddha and she was anxious to see him. She agreed to invite the Buddha
for the almsfood the next day. Because the Jetavana monastery was far away,
Cula Subhadda
made the invitation only with her heart. But the Buddha knew and accepted
the invitation. At that day, Anatha
Pindika went to the monastery and invited
the Buddha to have almsfood in his house the next day. But the Buddha replied
that he had already accepted Cula Subhadda's
invitation. Anatha Pindika
asked how was it possible if his daughter lived so far away. The Buddha
replied with this verse, saying that the good ones can be seen and heard
from far away. The next day, the Buddha with many
monks went to the house of Ugga. After the meal, he delivered a discourse.
The whole Ugga's family became followers of the Buddha.